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My latest article is posted at http://www.automationtechies.com/sitepages/pid1265.php
KEEPING UP WITH SCIENCE FICTION
In 1983 fewer than 20% of office workers had a computer or terminal of any kind. Fax machines were rare, slow, and expensive. Virtually no one had a portable phone. Video games were dead (until Nintendo revitalized the industry in 1986). The Internet was small and limited to defense and university users, mostly in the USA. Music still came on vinyl, although CDs were becoming common. The Cold War was hot, and Vietnam was still an open sore on the body politic in the USA. DNA was a laboratory curiosity, and “windows” were made of glass.
In 1975, science fiction writer John Brunner published The Shockwave Rider, a novel dedicated to Alvin Toffler, author of Future Shock and describing a world in which there was a worldwide information network that highly competent programmers could manipulate, and which terrified others, and in which the rate of change was exponential. Since then, there has been more science fiction about the same ideas, but the most important thing happened outside of books.
That world is real, and it is here, and it is now. It isn’t science fiction any more.
Read the rest at http://www.automationtechies.com/sitepages/pid1265.php
As always, comment and critique are appreciated.
Happy Independence Day, USA!
Best,
Walt Boyes
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Spitzer and Boyes LLC
"consulting from the engineer
to the distribution channel"
21118 SE 278th Place
Maple Valley, WA 98038
Ph. 425-432-8262
Fx. 253-981-0285
[email protected]
www.spitzerandboyes.com
--------------------------
KEEPING UP WITH SCIENCE FICTION
In 1983 fewer than 20% of office workers had a computer or terminal of any kind. Fax machines were rare, slow, and expensive. Virtually no one had a portable phone. Video games were dead (until Nintendo revitalized the industry in 1986). The Internet was small and limited to defense and university users, mostly in the USA. Music still came on vinyl, although CDs were becoming common. The Cold War was hot, and Vietnam was still an open sore on the body politic in the USA. DNA was a laboratory curiosity, and “windows” were made of glass.
In 1975, science fiction writer John Brunner published The Shockwave Rider, a novel dedicated to Alvin Toffler, author of Future Shock and describing a world in which there was a worldwide information network that highly competent programmers could manipulate, and which terrified others, and in which the rate of change was exponential. Since then, there has been more science fiction about the same ideas, but the most important thing happened outside of books.
That world is real, and it is here, and it is now. It isn’t science fiction any more.
Read the rest at http://www.automationtechies.com/sitepages/pid1265.php
As always, comment and critique are appreciated.
Happy Independence Day, USA!
Best,
Walt Boyes
---------------------
Spitzer and Boyes LLC
"consulting from the engineer
to the distribution channel"
21118 SE 278th Place
Maple Valley, WA 98038
Ph. 425-432-8262
Fx. 253-981-0285
[email protected]
www.spitzerandboyes.com
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